Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-06-10
The Seal Grounds.
ARE THEY OPEN TO FOREIGN AND
CLOSED TO AMERICAN VESSELS.

ARE THEY OPEN TO FOREIGN AND
CLOSED TO AMERICAN VESSELS.
The whaling grounds of the North
Pacific ocean, though of course open
to all nations, are now in the hands OF
Americans, and were so practically be-
fore thepurchase of Alaska. 1t is
probable that the United States will
continue to enjoy virtual monopoly
of this industry, for under present con-
diticns it will ere long cease to be pro-
fitable."
This was written by Hubert Howe
Bancroft in his History of Alaska in
1886. If whaling ceases to be profit
able, there will of course be an end
of it. By this the United States Gov
ernment would not be direct loser
But the same fate which is likely to
befall the whalers, namely extinction
is not less likely to reach the seals be-
fore long, though this seems never to
have been suspected until lately. The
fact is, that the fur seal in Alaskan wa.
ters has placed the United States Gov
ernment in a novel and unique pre-
dicament, real dilemma. The Pribyl
Islands in the Behring Sea, consisting
of st. Paul and st. George are at pre-.
sent the only breeding places of the
fur-seals. To these islands the seals
migrate in June and then they return
in the Fall with their young. The
islands are leased to the Alaska Com.
mercial Company for a yearly rent OF
$55, 600 and tax of $2s for each seal.
skin of which they are allowed to take
100000 each year. The revenue de-
rived from this source is sufficient to
pay the interest on the purchase price
of Alaska. Outside of this income
there is none to speak of.
By controlling the Pribyl Islands
the Alaska Commercial Company has
at the same time control of the whole
of the "seal fisheries" because the
Government has prohibited the killing
Of seals in all Alaska Territory except
on those islands. English vessels and
American vessels which infringed upon
the law have been seized. But the
English schooners have been released
to their owners and English vessels
have gone up to Behring Sea again to
catch seals. Now it seems that these
foreign vessels are at liberty to do
whatever they like as long as they
keep without the three mile limit
They will be left unmolested, while
American crafts, when caught in the
pursuit of seal-hunting, will be con fis-
Gated, so that foreigners would actually
enjoy privileges in Alaskan waters
which are closed to American citizens.
And from this position there seems to
be no escape, except by not renewing
the lease of the Alaska Commercial
Company on its expiration in 1889
The reason is that though the Behring
Sea was transferred to the United
States by Russia together with Alaska
it is extremely doubtful whether this
transfer amounts to anything more
than the transfer of possessory rights
to the Pacific ocean. If the claim is
not valid according to international
law, then foreigners can catch seal in
Behring Sea to their hearts content,
as long as they do it ON the high sea,
while American vessels would be pre-.
vented from doing the same by being
subject to the laws of the United
States no matter where they are. Now,
IT the United States cannot exclude
foreign vessels from the seal grounds
but are nevertheless obliged to protect
the Alaska Commercial Company
against American seal-hunters, then
this state of affairs cannot be kept UP
indefinitely. The unavoidable result
seems to be that after 1889 there will
ensue an indiscriminate slaughter ol
seals ending with their total extinc.
ton.